The boys basketball series between Cardinal Ritter and University has been one of the state’s most competitive over the past several seasons. Each of the last six games between the rivals has been decided by two possessions or less. The teams played a total of six overtimes during those six games.
Saturday night the Trailblazers hosted the Raiders at The U Center and broke the series mold. University, ranked 12th in Class 2A, rolled to a 73-44 win to improve to 12-3 on the season.
Joe Martin led University with 18 points while Camden Brown added a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds. Max Greenamoyer had 12 points. Sam Mervis had 10 points, a team-high six assists and five rebounds to help University improve to 12-3 on the season.
“We played a great game tonight,” said University coach Brandon Lafferman. “Our energy in the first half was awesome. Cam Brown had one of his better games with a double-double and doing a good job guarding (Damon) Ogletree.” Brown helped hold the 6-6 Ogletree, Ritter’s leading scorer on the season, to just ten points.
University broke away from an early 4-4 tie with eight straight points. Brown converted a three-point play before Greenamoyer hit a three pointer off a Mervis pass. University made it 12-4 on a layin from Greenamoyer. Jacob Sager added a basket and a pair of foul shots and University led 16-9 after the first quarter.
The Raiders scored a pair of field goals in the first minute of the second quarter to pull within three. University held Ritter without a field goal for the next 5:40 of the game and went on a 18-2 run to take control of the contest. Mervis kicked off the spurt with a steal and a lay-in. Greenamoyer added two foul shots, Martin scored at the rim for a 22-13 lead.
After a Ritter free throw, University scored six points in 30 seconds to bust the game open. Mervis made two foul shots before Greenamoyer stole the ball, passed to Mervis who found a streaking Martin for a lay-in. Another Greenamoyer steal led to a lay-in for Mervis and a 28-14 lead. Brown had two field goals and Mervis scored for a 34-15 lead with two minutes left in the half. The Trailblazers had a commanding 40-23 at halftime.
The Trailblazers shot a blistering 58 percent for the game, making 30 of 52 field goal attempts.
Cardinal Ritter was led by Aidan Cannon who had 16 points. The Raiders are now 2-9 on the season.
University is off until January 31 when it goes on the road at Anderson Preparatory Academy with a chance to clinch their fourth straight PAAC North championship.
UNIVERSITY 73, CARDINAL RITTER 44
University FG FT TP PF
Sam Mervis 4-6 2-2 10 3
Max Greenamoyer 4-8 2-2 12 2
Camden Brown 5-7 3-3 13 2
Jacob Sager 3-5 2-4 8 1
Joe Martin 9-16 0-2 18 3
Aaron Stallings 1-2 0-0 3 1
Korey Ash-Simpson 1-3 0-0 2 1
Larry Pierce 1-2 0-0 2 2
Matt Jones 2-3 0-0 5 1
Kasey Ash-Simpson 0-0 0-0 0 0
Faizan Eskar 0-0 0-0 0 0
Totals 30-52 9-13 73 16
Score by Quarters
Ritter 9 14 8 13 – 44
University 16 24 16 17 – 73
University 3-point shooting (4-12) Mervis 2-5, Jones 1-2, Stallings 1-1, Martin 0-2, Ko. Ash-Simpson 0-1, Mervis 0-1.
University rebounds (31) Brown 11, Mervis 5, Sager 4, Greenamoyer 3, Ko. Ash-Simpson 3, Martin 2, Ka. Ash-Simpson 1, Eskar 1, Pierce 1.